Pro-Palestinian rally held at US consulate in Belfast

Protestors at the US Consulate in Belfast hold Palestinian flags and placardsPacemaker

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched to the US consulate

About 6,000 protestors took part in a pro-Palestinian march to the United States consulate in Belfast on Saturday, police have said.

It was one of a number of rallies held across the UK on Saturday calling for an end to Israeli attacks in Gaza.

A number of pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrations have been held in Belfast in recent weeks.

The rally, organised by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign, started outside Queen's University Belfast.

Speeches called for a ceasefire, with some speakers urging the US government to end financial support to Israel.

The US is Israel's largest military backer, providing about $3.8bn of defence aid a year.

Posters displayed were critical of the US government.

The march then made its way to the consulate near Stranmillis Road and Danesfort Park in the south of the city.

Teddy bears were placed at the consulate's gate to represent children who have been killed in Gaza.

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Teddy bears were placed at the gates of the consulate

Israel has been bombarding Gaza with prolonged air strikes following the 7 October attacks on southern Israel by Hamas, in which the group killed 1,400 people and took more than 200 hostage.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says Israeli air strikes have killed more than 9,000 people.

Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK.

On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there would be no temporary ceasefire until all Israeli hostages were released.

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